Last time Broncos won a playoff game: Revisiting the 2016 Super Bowl and Denver's drought since

The Broncos clinched a playoff spot successful Week 18 with a dominant win implicit the Chiefs, ending 1 of the longest progressive playoff droughts successful the league. The franchise earned the No. 7 effect aft a 10-7 regular season, but they present crook their absorption to ending the playoff triumph drought.

Denver is not typically an enactment associated with playoff droughts, but the past decennary has been rocky for the team. Since their past playoff triumph successful 2016, the Broncos person had six caput coaches and 14 antithetic starting quarterbacks.

This year, Sean Payton yet got the Broncos backmost to the playoffs successful his 2nd play astatine the helm, successful ample portion acknowledgment to the play of rookie backmost Bo Nix. While they participate the playoffs arsenic 1 of the biggest underdogs successful the postseason, they anticipation to marque different iconic playoff run. 

The Broncos' past playoff triumph was a memorable infinitesimal not lone successful the franchise's past but successful NFL history. The Sporting News examines Denver's past playoff win.

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When was the Broncos' past playoff win?

The past clip the Broncos won a playoff crippled was besides the past clip they made the playoffs, arsenic Denver went connected a memorable Super Bowl tally to triumph its 3rd NFL championship.

The Broncos played successful Super Bowl 50 aft going 12-4 successful the regular season. Their hostile was a Panthers squad that had conscionable 1 nonaccomplishment each season. Denver was led by its defense, arsenic stars similar Von Miller, DeMarcus Ware and Chris Harris Jr. helped signifier a ascendant unit.

This crippled besides happened to beryllium Peyton Manning's past successful the NFL, arsenic the Hall-of-Famer got to spell retired with a win. Manning was noticeably diminished successful his last play — helium had conscionable 9 touchdowns successful 10 games during the regular play — but helium managed the discourtesy arsenic Denver relied connected its moving game.

In Super Bowl 50, the Broncos got disconnected to a bully commencement with a tract extremity connected its opening possession. It was followed by a Miller sack of Cam Newton that the Broncos returned for a touchdown. Later successful the game, with Denver up 16-10, Miller sealed the woody with different sack and forced fumble of Newton, this clip successful Carolina's territory. 

The Broncos won the crippled 24-10, and Miller totaled 2.5 sacks connected the nighttime which helped him gain Super Bowl MVP. Manning had 141 passing yards and a two-point conversion successful the game, but it was bully capable for him to get his 2nd Super Bowl title.

Other cardinal performances successful that crippled included moving backmost C.J. Anderson, who rushed for 90 yards and a touchdown, and Ware, who totaled 2 sacks himself. In fact, the Denver defence had 7 sacks and forced 4 turnovers successful the game, producing 1 of the astir ascendant antiaircraft performances successful Super Bowl history.

In 2025, the Broncos will look disconnected against Miller, who is present a cardinal subordinate of Buffalo's defense.

MORE: Bo Nix challenges Justin Herbert for rookie passing TD grounds successful Week 18 win

Longest progressive NFL playoff triumph droughts

Here are the 10 longest NFL playoff triumph droughts entering this weekend:

*If the Commanders, Steelers and Broncos suffer this weekend, their droughts summation by one

Among these teams, the Broncos clasp an absorbing spot connected this list, arsenic they are the lone squad whose past playoff triumph was a Super Bowl victory.

In the aboriginal 2010s, Denver was a powerhouse successful the AFC, making the playoffs successful 5 consecutive seasons and winning six playoff games. However, since the Super Bowl win, it hasn't been capable to instrumentality to the postseason until this year, ending the second-longest progressive playoff drought successful the league.

Even if the Broncos don't triumph this week, they are inactive obscurity adjacent the Dolphins, who haven't won a playoff crippled since 2000.

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• Full NFL playoff schedule
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• Wild-card picks against the spread
• NFL playoff powerfulness rankings, 1-14
• SN's adept playoff predictions, Super Bowl 59 picks